We were delighted to be celebrating 20 years of Music Festivals in Sarratt this year.

The artists are our favourites from the past two decades.

Friday 20^th September  The magnificent 30 voice Choir of Christchurch College Oxford

Although Christ Church Cathedral Choir is 500 years old, it is justly famous for the youthfulness of its sound and its daring and adventurous musical programming. Unique in the world as both Cathedral and College choir, the intimate acoustic of its musical home, Oxford’s twelfth century Cathedral, has given it a relationship with early sacred music and the rhythm and vigour of contemporary idioms which is second to none.

The choir's program included:

Taverner Mater Christi, Sanctissima
Parry (from Songs of Farewell) My soul, there is a country
There is an old belief
Never weather-beaten sail
Tallis Lamentations 
Humfrey A hymn to God the Father
Weir Love bade me welcome
Swayne Magnificat
Hildegard O Virtus sapientiae
Dering Factum est silentium
Padilla Kyrie and Gloria from Missa Ego flos campi
Walton Set me as a seal
Purcell Evening hymn
Holst Nunc dimittis

https://www.chchchoir.org/

Saturday 21^st September Virtuoso guitarist Craig Ogden

Australian born guitarist Craig Ogden is one of the most exciting artists of his generation. He studied guitar from the age of seven and percussion from the age of thirteen. In 2004, he became the youngest instrumentalist to receive a Fellowship Award from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. One of the UK’s most recorded guitarists, his recordings have received wide acclaim. Craig Ogden has performed concertos with many of the world’s leading orchestras.

Craig's program included:

http://www.craigogden.com/

Friday 27^th September Chris Garrick, Peter Fisher and friends

The 1970’s saw two giants of the violin world, Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli, join forces for one of the most unlikely, yet memorable and globally successful classical/jazz crossover collaborations of all times.  Between the years of 1972 and 1985 they recorded 100 tracks across seven different albums for EMI.  It stands undeniably as one of the most enduringly popular cross-over ventures ever in the history of music.  The unique and unforgettable partnership of two of the 20th Century’s most celebrated violinists is the major focus for this concert. Sarratt Festival of Music regular, jazz violinist Christian Garrick, returned for this performance of the pieces arranged especially for Menuhin & Grappelli by Nelson Riddle and Max Harris.  He was joined by Peter Fisher - a long time associate of Christian’s who masterfully took on the role of maestro Menuhin. 

http://chrisgarrick.com/ 

      

Saturday 28^th September Gala Final Concert with our patron, the incomparable pianist John Lill.

John Lill is the British concert pianist who has scored important successes as a competition winner (sharing first prize in the 1970 Tchaikovsky International Competition), as a recitalist and soloist, and as a prolific recording artist. He showed unusual talent on the piano as a child and at age nine gave his first concert. Two years later he enrolled at the Royal College of Music. Even during his student years he gave several memorable concerts, including his 1963 London debut, where he performed the Beethoven Fifth Piano Concerto (“The Emperor”) at Royal Festival Hall. In 1969 made his Carnegie Hall debut and the following year scored his greatest triumph, finishing in a tie with Vladimir Krainev for first prize in piano at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Thereafter he performed regularly throughout the world, eventually traveling to more than 40 countries. He has played with many of Europe’s finest orchestras.